Help!

[mel-claire]

I have a 9 year son who's been recently diagnosed with combined ADHD, my question is does the prescribed medication from the doctor really work or not as i don't want to put my son on it if it doesn't work thanks.

[STEM_Dad]

ADHD medications do work, but experience with each medication will vary from person to person.

There is a lot of research on ADHD medications across patient groups of all ages particularly with children. Much had to be studied about these medications before they could be approved for clinical use to treat ADHD (including the effectiveness, and the possible side effects).

How well the medication will work for your son can't be predicted in advance, from what I understand, but my experience is that doctors will prescribe medications that they are familiar with and have a reasonable expectation will work for their patient.

Trying the medication is the only way to truly know how it will work.

I have ADHD myself (predominantly Inattentive presentation), and I have been prescribed two very different medications at different points in time. First, I was prescribed a stimulant, Adderall XR. It partially improved my ADHD symptoms, but raising the dosage didn't improve the effectiveness and also introduced a side effect that I didn't have on the starting dose. Altogether, I was in Adderall about 5-6 months.

My doctor then prescribed me a non-stimulant, atomoxetine (better known by the brand name Strattera). For me, it was twice as effective as Adderall was, and with no side effects as long as I take it with food. (I figured that out the first few days on it.) However, Strattera isn't as effective for some people as it is for me, and others have shared with me that they experience side effects with it.

Stimulant medications remain the most effective ADHD medication for most people who have ADHD.

I suggest keeping a log of what your son says he is experiencing. It may take days, weeks, or possibly a couple of months for his body to adjust and experience the full effect of the medication.

[Imakecutebabies]

Medication has had a very positive effect for my son, after trying many other things that did not help at all. However, there are many different medications, so the first one you try may or may not be the best fit for your child--you may have to try a few, and varying doses of each, before finding the best treatment. To my understanding, stimulants can improve focus and impulse control, while non-stimulants can help with emotional regulation.

[STEM_Dad in reply to Imakecutebabies]

From what I understand based on information I've learned about ADHD, both stimulants and non-stimulants can help with focus and emotional regulation.

I can verify from my own experience that I was helped in similar ways by both a stimulant (Adderall XR) and a non-stimulant (generic Strattera, i.e. atomoxetine). Both have helped me with focus, attention, being less distractible, emotional regulation, and tremendously helped my working memory. I find it very interesting that they worked so similarly, since Adderall and other stimulants treat by increasing dopamine availability, while Strattera treats by making existing norepinephrine release more persistent. (It is a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, meaning that it simply makes certain types of nerves that released norepinephrine delay in reabsorbing the excess.)

- My ADHD was diagnosed (at 45) as the predominantly Inattentive presentation; I have very little of hyperactive-impulsive traits, so I can't say whether my experience would apply to people with H-I or Combined ADHD. My own emotional dysregulation shows up mostly as anxiety. Both types of medications have helped me to feel less anxious, slightly more calm, and generally more positive.

- I'll admit that this might be an apples-to-oranges comparison, because children may be affected by ADHD medication than adults like me. But my ADHD traits have pretty much been the same as far back as I can recall.

[Mamamichl]

Adhd medications do work depending on your body chemistry. If you do t want to try out a variety of meds, I recommend a gene site test. My daughter and I haven’t had it, but my partner has. He found the right med and dosage Immediately, and we are still testing them out with some progress, but not nearly as much as my partner.

When he got it done, he was told what meds would work and which would have side effects. His insurance covered it since we were at the right clinic, but it is a long wait for me and my daughter (6 months). I totally get your concern with the possible side effects, but those are rare and most are short lived because the med works it’s way out of the system in less than a day.

[STEM_Dad in reply to Mamamichl]

Even though I've found atomoxetine to work really well for me, I'm really curious about how the genetic testing works.

[Mamamichl in reply to STEM_Dad]

I highly recommend it. Basically it mixes our biological chemistry like a paternity test (swab on cheek usually) with a variety of meds and see how they react. They can say what works or not, as well as what kind of side effects to expect.

[Too_many_Legos in reply to Mamamichl]

Can it really tell you about side effects? My pediatrician indicated that it wouldn't be able to give that information, only what types were more likely to work.

[Mamamichl in reply to Too_many_Legos]

It may not be able to tell you specific side effects, but it tells you how bad of side effects you have. Like a severity of reaction to the med like an allergy test does.

[eva2022]

It’s great that you are finding ways to help your son! More than 4O years of research shows that kids that need and take ADHD medication are more successful at executive functioning skills into adulthood. So-it helps now and in the future 😊

Most ADHD medicines are in the body for fewer than eight hours. So if you can think of it as an eight hour trial, you will know pretty much right away if it’s helpful or not. We have each medicine three days to see if it was effective just to be sure that it wasn’t something else. For us it was pretty easy going in with the mindset that the first few medicines might not be the right fit but that we only had to deal with a few days for each one.

I hope that helps! Most pediatricians work A LOT with ADHD now so if you find a pediatrician that you trust, he ir she will be a big help along the way.

[Ejcox2002]

It takes a while but when you get the right medication and dosage you are sorted!

This comes from someone who has lived with ADHD & been on meds a long time. Alongside, made the difficult decision for my child to do the same.

[Onthemove1971]

When ADHD medication is the correct: type, correct dose and the correct timing is can be life changing. Our son would not be as successful with out the following: medication, therapy, lots of exercise ( some kids need more or less) and an educational plan.

We are very thankful that medication (with little to no side effects) have worked so well for our son.

Let us know if you have any questions like: how long before you notice it work? What can I expect from medication?

Do you have to changes doses over the years?

We had all of these questions.

You could also look at previous message using a search about medications, you will find great messages.

Best of luck!

[LisethHIS]

Hi, mel-claire,

Thank you for contacting CHADD's National Resource Center on ADHD. When it comes to medication everyone is different. Some have good response with no to little side effects, but some people experience all the side effects or don't like how they feel when they are taking medication. Our recommendations would be to speak with the doctor and see what the choice of medication is he/she is considering putting your child on and do your research.

Here are some links on medication information that could be helpful. chadd.org/adhd-weekly/qa-me...

chadd.org/adhd-news/adhd-ne...

chadd.org/for-parents/medic...

chadd.org/for-parents/treat...

chadd.org/parent-to-parent/

If you have further questions, please let us know. We are here to help!

Liseth

Health Information Specialist

CHADD’s National Resource Center on ADHD 

chadd.org 

[Too_many_Legos]

Let me chime in again and say, the research is compelling that the meds can work. But, as others have stated, everyone is different. We spent all of 3rd grade trialing different meds and my kiddo was super sensitive to side effects so we couldn't even get to a point to see if they were helping (you traditionally start with low doses and work your way up to the ideal dosage as you acclimate to the side effects). We took two years off and are currently trying again, now that he's a little older. He's on methylphendiate (a low dose), and tolerating it better, but still hates it as it makes him sleepy and gives him headaches. We haven't noticed any benefits at home, but our biggest challenges are in school, so we we'll make the final call on whether to stop or continue once we have a few weeks of school under our belts.

I can tell you that anecdotally, I hear from a lot of parents whose kids also struggle a lot with side effects and don't see much benefit, so it can be very frustrating. Also, as your kid ages, what works for them likely will need adjustment as time goes on--it never ends.

So, I recommend definitely doing trials, but also continuing all the non-drug services and therapies. Good luck.